Snowboarder OK after going missing Tuesday at Squaw Valley

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OLYMPIC VALLEY — A snowboarder who went missing Tuesday afternoon at Squaw Valley was found later that evening in good condition, officials said.

The 44-year-old Bay area man was reported missing by a friend at around 3:40 p.m. Tuesday, and Squaw Valley Ski Patrol “immediately” began a search, focusing on the mountain’s Shirley Canyon area, according to a resort press release Wednesday.

At approximately 4:25 p.m., Squaw Valley Dispatch made contact with the snowboarder, who confirmed he was lost, according to the release.

Due to whiteout conditions from Tuesday’s snowstorm, the man became disorientated, and instead of heading toward Shirley Canyon — as he thought he was — he ended up going in the wrong direction, said John Lasagna, detective for the Placer County Sheriff’s Office.

Squaw Valley Ski Patrol concluded the snowboarder had departed the ski area, heading into the backcountry toward Pole Creek Canyon, according to the release. PCSO was contacted at 5:30 p.m. to initiate a backcountry search.

Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue members found the snowboarder at about 8:15 p.m. on the top of Pole Creek Canyon in good condition, Lasagna said. He was cold and his ribs were sore from an earlier fall, but no medical treatment was needed, Lasagna said.

- Margaret Moran writes for the Sierra Sun, a sister publication of The Union.